"It would be wonderful to beat Australia and be at the top of Asia" - Korea's Lee Dae-Sung
ASIA - Lee Dae-Sung shoulders the dreams of close friend on his jersey and follows the footsteps of an Asian legend, aspiring the be the best of the best among Asian guards.
ASIA - Lee Dae-Sung is not as revered as much as some of the other members of the Korean backcourt. After some solid games at the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and an MVP-worthy season in the Korean Basketball League, it’s time to put Lee Dae-Sung on notice.
There has never been much doubt in Lee’s raw talents. With brief stints playing overseas in the NCAA Division II (BYU-Hawaii) and the NBA G-League (Eerie Bayhawks), it was evident that Lee had potential and the tools to be one of the best guards in Asia. It was only a matter of him being able to get things together, healing from injuries and adjusting his mindset.
Lee made the squad against China at the Asian Qualifiers, the first of 4 games he would play for the World Cup-bound Korea national team. In 21.9 minutes of action, Lee recorded 7.0 points and 2.3 assists. While not exactly eye-popping stats, Lee still considers those 4 games as a success.
"To face the best players from each country was fantastic," says Lee. "To win all four games was another good thing for us, too."
Lee contributed to the team’s efforts in securing huge victories over China (9 points, 2 assists) and Lebanon (11 points, 4 assists) and could have done even more if not for an injury later in the year. Dash, as Lee is also referred to be friends to abbreviate his name, has a unique style of play with herky-jerky and fast-twitched movements which makes him fun to watch and shines light on his uncommon choice of jersey number: 43.
"There was a [friend close] to me who used to wear 43 when he played," explains Lee of the story behind his selection. "He has retired and is now a teacher. I wanted to take his number and fulfil the dreams that he had wanted."
Lee has taken himself and the dreams of his close friend far in the world of basketball and he doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. Though he has blazed some trails of his own, Lee tries to follow along the footsteps of a respected veteran who he is very close to.
"It always has been Yang Dong-Geun, my teammate from Ulsan Hyundai Mobis [in the KBL]," Lee reveals of who he idolizes and models his game after. "I want to follow his path and be the best guard in Asia."
38-year-old Yang Dong-Geun is considered one of the best in Asia with 5 Asia Cup appearances and a World Cup stint in 2014. Yang has taken Lee under his wing as teammates with Ulsan in the KBL, making sure that one of the country’s best players makes the most of his potential. Lee is already known for his ability to score with his long range shooting or quick bursts to the basket, but he knows that he also needs to round out his game as well to be among the best of the best.
"I’m trying to read the game better and give everything that the team needs from me, whether that is points, rebounds, assists, or blocks," says the 28-year-old. "Right now, I would like to contribute and showcase my defense to help the team."
If Lee can make significant strides in those areas, there is no doubt that he should be a lock to make the squad for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers later this year after Korea plays in the World Cup. There is plenty on the line at the FIBA Asia Cup, so qualifying to the tournament will a great opportunity for Lee to display his game.
"I believe [the FIBA Asia Cup] is a great chance for us to achieve something," Lee says. "I would like to show and prove many things there."
The last time Korea played at the FIBA Asia Cup in 2017 (sans Lee Dae-Sung), they successfully finished in 3rd place with an 80-71 win over New Zealand. They didn’t get a chance to play against the mighty Green-and-Gold Boomers which is a dream match-up for Lee, should he get the nod to make the squad this time.
"It would be wonderful to beat Australia and be at the top of Asia," Lee expresses. "Also, I would like give them the impression of the kind of player that I am."
If Australia - or the rest of Asia - don’t already have an impression of the player that Lee is, they might want to get familiar soon or risk being caught off guard when the time comes.